The present invention relates to pockets in combination with binders for retaining articles. More specifically, this invention relates to pockets which are disposed in compartments in a void area of a binder and a method for forming such pockets.
Numerous developments in the binder or folder art have resulted in a variety of ways of retaining sheets of paper in a cover in a more or less planar manner. Other components have been designed to be retained with the papers such as additional pockets, accessory pouches, rulers, paper punches, and any number of other items. A number of holding devices have been developed to retaining the paper and other components in the cover. One popular form of holding device is binder rings which are attached to the cover. The rings are divided and are operable so that they can be opened and closed to insert or remove components from the binder. Other holding devices are available such as slide brackets, screw posts, or strapping brackets.
In many binders a void is formed inside of the binder when the binder is closed. The void extends longitudinally along the common edge of the components retained by the holding device. The void is bounded by a first and second edge, such as a top and bottom edge of the cover, a portion of the inside surface of the cover and the common edge of the components. A number of boundary components define compartments in the void. For example, boundary components may include the rings or other retaining device, a finger lever for opening or closing rings, or the top or bottom edge of the cover.
Often times, it is important to retain small articles in a binder such as product samples, containers for holding small product samples, or stationary supplies such as erasers, correction fluid, or self-adhesive note labels, to name just a few. Prior art solutions to retaining these articles in the binder have been to provide storage pouches which attach to the retaining device or to stuff the articles in a pocket formed along one of the front or back covers. This causes a problem in that the items press against the materials retained in the binder such as paper and may disfigure the papers or become crushed when items are stacked on the outside surface of the front or back of the cover or when the binder is forced into a space that is too small such as a brief case or shelf. Additionally, when articles are retained in the binder in the manner as mentioned above, the front and back covers of the binder tend to bulge making it less manageable to carry and less stackable.
As such, it would be desirable to provide a binder which retains articles therein without damaging the articles or the contents of the binder and without effecting the manageability of the binder.